


add just a bit more seasoning.

by chosuiri



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ashe-centric, M/M, Pining, Wedding, also based off my blue lions playthrough so that means the endings Too for the most part., anyways class reunion at wedding., ashe pining. a lot, based off ashe and dedue's paired ending, dimifelix wedding because i said so, past ashelix now bc it's my fic and i do what i want, self-indulgent... :pensive:, spoilers for ending of blue lions route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-09-27 06:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20403283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chosuiri/pseuds/chosuiri
Summary: “Though the innocence of the Duscur people was proven, prejudice against them still lingered in the kingdom capital. For this reason, Ashe refused a knighthood when it was offered to him, and chose instead to open an inn that specialized in Duscur cuisine. Dedue began to frequent the place on breaks from his duty as the king’s vassal, and over time, imparted to Ashe his culinary wisdom. As the inn gained popularity, the people of the Kingdom began finally to see the Duscur people in a positive light. This led to a reconciliation between the two cultures that came rather more quickly than expected.”---Dedue swings by the inn, like usual, but this time asks that Ashe caters his King's wedding. Of course, Ashe is happy to oblige.Or, Ashe pining hopelessly for his friend and gets thrown into a class reunion of a wedding in the process.





	1. a request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is based off the ending of my blue lions run! anyway i think ashe and dedue are gay so i wanted to write this.
> 
> i was gonna just have this be a one-shot, but i realized it'd probably be better if i split the exposition and the wedding. yes i haven't finished writing the wedding scene yet but im impatient so i wanted to post it now. don't worry i WILL finish it. 
> 
> anyway, please enjoy!

Ashe hums from his kitchen space behind the bar, busying himself with preparations for the day’s meals. Particularly, breakfast. Although he’d taken a lot of inspiration from Duscur cuisine, Ashe had added his own flair as well. In a way, it’s a marriage of the two cuisines-- simply recipes enhanced with Duscur’s spices. Of course, he’s far from Dedue’s level of cooking.

Memories, Ashe had concluded a while back, are Dedue’s secret ingredients. Ensuring those days spent cooking with his family lived on through his food. It’s admirable-- it moved Ashe to tears upon the realization that he could do the same.

Even all these years later, he still thinks about his father cooking away in his restaurant. He brought smiles to others with his food, and Ashe… hadn’t imagined he would be following in his father’s footsteps.

Deciding upon whipping up omelettes for today’s breakfast menu, Ashe takes out a basket of eggs and a large bowl. He also gathers other necessary ingredients, like milk for the eggs, and then spices for seasoning. Although, it’s minimal at best. He likes to bring out the freshness of the ingredients, of course! While the egg mixture is definitely the star of the show, people like their fillings! Ashe opts to chop the necessary vegetables, dicing tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and his eyes search his food storage to see if he had anything else that would go well in an omelette.

His previous classmates’ tastes and preferences come to mind. Felix liked a spicier omelette with lots of meat, His Majesty preferred a lot of cheese, Mercedes a sweeter egg, Ingrid didn’t have a particular preference, provided it was chock with lots of food, Sylvain liking plenty of tomatoes, Annette preferring a creamy omelette, the Professor, or now better known as the new Archbishop, didn’t care as long as it “taste good”.

Then, Dedue… gave earnest praise to whatever Ashe cooked. He never once complained, even when Ashe messed up and overcooked it. He simply gave Ashe instruction for how to improve the flavor the next time.

Ashe never found out what Dedue prefers in an omelette. Everytime Ashe had asked, Dedue deferred the decision, leaving it to Ashe’s own discretion. He still hasn’t managed to find the _ perfect _ filling for Dedue’s omelette. Although, he had just been focusing on perfecting the egg itself for Dedue, and maybe with some cheese. 

Occasionally his inn gets visits from the other blue lions, but a weekly visitor would be Dedue taking the day off from his duties at the palace to come visit him. It’s nice, and…

It made Ashe feel special, strangely enough. It’s like every time Dedue had a break from being by His Majesty’s side, he had decided to come to Ashe’s inn and teach him even more about Duscur cuisine.

He smiles as he idly starts to run a test omelette, turning on the heat and warming the pan. He gets a small block of butter, letting it sizzle and grease the pan and then begins to start humming one of the songs he’s heard from Annette.

* * *

Word spread fast, clearly, and Ashe’s custom omelettes were the talk of the capital. His inn’s been getting more popular, which was, of course, a good thing! Already a lot more of the kingdom’s people began to see Duscur in a more positive light. Although their innocence was already long proven, still prejudice lingered in the capital.

For that reason, Ashe declined knighthood. When asked what he wanted to protect, Ashe had said it was… whatever needed protecting. It’s been too broad of a statement at a time-- it made it glaringly obvious that Ashe is much of an idealist. 

His desires got loftier, however, and now he made it his goal to reconcile Faerghus with Duscur. To end the unfair prejudice that still remained against them. It was unfair, and he _ hated _ that Dedue would never speak out against it.

He decided he wanted to protect him, even if that seemed silly. Easily, Dedue could protect himself-- a whole lot better than Ashe ever could. Physically, that is! But this way, Ashe could try to make it so Dedue would never have to hear such hateful words again.

He resumes his frenzy of making omelettes for each customer, those who were guests at the inn had already received their orders, leaving him to deal with the crowd of interested outsiders. As Ashe hustles to prepare another batch of the egg mixture, a familiar voice calls out to him.

“Ashe.” Dedue approaches the counter, raising an eyebrow as he notices that the seat was reserved for him. He goes ahead and takes a seat, but glances around the restaurant. They all seem to be enjoying it. “You saved a seat for me.”

Ashe grins, “of course! I was looking forward to today. Somehow, you always come when I’m making omelettes. It’s like you magically knew! You’ll stick around to have something besides an omelette too, right?”

Dedue nods with a small smile, “You remembered my schedule.”

“Okay, maybe I did,” Ashe admits sheepishly, hints of red dusting his cheeks. Although flustered by Dedue’s callout, he decides to go straight to work on Dedue’s omelette. Even though it’s been completely hectic, as it always was on omelette days, seeing Dedue eat his cooking fills him with joy. Excitement, too. On such busy days, he would be the highlight of Ashe's shift. And then after he closed the kitchen for the day, Dedue would impart some more culinary wisdom.

Their cooking lessons are what Ashe loves the most. As if he got reenergized just by seeing Dedue again, Ashe starts to hum again as he ladles the egg mixture into the pan. This time, he will make the perfect omelette. Knowing that Dedue also values eating healthy, Ashe begins to toss together a salad in the meantime. With chopped veggies and herbs reminiscent of those grown by Dedue in the monastery's greenhouse, he mixes the fresh greens and douses them in a vinaigrette.

He plates the side salad with the finished omelette, and then slides it on the counter in front of Dedue. Remembering that Dedue couldn’t exactly eat it with his bare hands, he ducks beneath the counter for a bit to grab a set of silverware for him. Having that all set, he calls out, “Here’s brunch!”

Dedue blinks, but flashes Ashe another smile. He unravels the rolled set of silverware, taking the fork and begins to dig in.

Ashe stares at him expectantly, but lets his thoughts slip as his eyes settle on Dedue’s jawline-- he catches himself in his embarrassment, and then begins to gauge for Dedue’s reaction to his food. “How is it?”

“Delicious. The vinaigrette might be a bit too strong,” Dedue offers thoughtfully, “some of the greens you used already have a strong peppery flavor. Perhaps in this case you should’ve went with a sweeter dressing to complement it.”

Ashe nods, “right, I’ll consider that next time. Thanks, Dedue. But how about the omelette? Fluffy enough?”

“It is fluffy,” Dedue pauses, taking a spoon instead to eat with it, “I like it.”

Ashe grins, “yes! I still have a long way to go before you deem it worthy to become the national dish for all of Fodlan!”

“Big ambitions you have there,” Dedue returns with a brief chuckle, “I cannot decide that.”

_ I like him _ is the first thing that pops into Ashe’s head as blood rushes to his cheeks. _ A lot_. “Well, I guess so. I think you should be in charge of that.”

So, perhaps he likes him more than a friend. Ashe would call himself an admirer of Dedue above all else. And who could blame him? He’s the perfect knight! Strong, loyal, and extremely kind. He seems intimidating, but his actions and words are comforting. He was always gentle-- whether with the plants in the greenhouse or with others. Of course, his cooking was always filled with his warmth. 

Sometimes, Ashe finds himself fantasizing. Dedue serves as the King’s vassal, obviously, so his duties require him to be by his Majesty’s side at all times. In a way, not has much changed since their academy days. Ashe is already lucky enough to have Dedue visit him so frequently! He’d want nothing more than to spend time with him more, and maybe even wake up to-- no, no!

“Have you had rest? You look feverish.” He speaks up bluntly, extending a hand to check Ashe’s forehead, but the other man instinctively averts his gaze. 

“I’m… fine!” Ashe squeaks out, wincing at how his voice still hasn’t gotten any deeper, “haha… I guess cooking for so long gets you a little heated.”

“Mm.” Dedue grunts in response, pulling his hand away and back to finishing his meal. “I have some news to tell you. And a request.”

Ashe perks up, and starts to put away his tools for a bit. He needs to sit for this-- he checks the door to make sure no other customers are coming, and then without hesitation, he comes out from behind the bar counter and hops up on the seat next to Dedue. “Go on!”

“It has not been officially announced yet, but His Majesty is getting married.”

“Dimitri!?” Ashe yelps again, his eyes shining, “so he’s finally found his queen? Were you there, Dedue? For the proposal?”

Dedue shakes his head, “no. But would you like to know to who?”

“Of course!” Ashe exclaims, leaning in closer-- a bit aware that they’re in public, “I have some guesses, but… you should tell me anyway!”

"Felix."

Now _ that _ was a surprise. Well… considering that they were childhood friends, and Felix's continued loyalty to Dimitri despite claiming to despise him. They have been mending their relationship slowly, as Felix had began to serve as Dimitri's right-hand. But a knight to fall in love with his own king… it was so romantic!

It reminded Ashe of one of the tales he had shared with Felix. A story of a stoic and prickly knight who sought to be stronger than anyone else to protect his king. That one resonated with Felix, he felt, and now Ashe is certain for sure.

"It makes a lot of sense," Ashe offers a grin, "thinking about it, that is. I'm really glad no one tried to object to it."

"_ Duke _ Fraldarius would bite their heads off if they did." Dedue remarks as an obvious statement, but Ashe snorts at the humor in it.

"That's true," Ashe admits with a small smile, "but… that's great to hear! Tell them that I'm really happy for them. When's the wedding?"

"You will need to know that," Dedue nods, "His Majesty has asked that you be the one to cater the wedding."

"_ My cooking _!?" Ashe squawks, pointing at himself with confusion evident all over his face. "Shouldn't they be asking you for that?"

"I have other roles in the wedding," Dedue shoots him a pointed look, "you have a restaurant and have made an excellent career out of it. The people love your cooking, Ashe."

Ashe flushes from the praise, but nods slowly. “If you say so… and knowing His Majesty, he’d would keep insisting that I do it, huh?”

Another brief chuckle and a fond smile. “Then be confident in your cuisine, Ashe. Look how busy this place is.”

“You’re right, Dedue…” Ashe returns, “but I still think your cooking is the most delicious.”

“You’re improving. In time, you will surpass me.” Dedue reassures him, and notices one of Ashe’s employees coming back from cleaning the tables. He turns to her, and gives her a grunt of acknowledgement.

Since it’s nearly impossible for Ashe to handle everything himself, he had employed some of the teenagers in this district of the capital for help. They were kids like him. Even with Dimitri assuming the throne, the gap between the rich and the poor had a long way to go before it was minimized. Dimitri’s been trying to do what he can, of course, and Ashe sought to help the poor in his own ways. After all, he was in that dark place once-- where he stole to survive.

He’s not as powerful as Lonato was, of course, but he has inherited some of his fortune and his noble dedication to helping those in need.

The young girl was only around fifteen, but similar to Ashe when he was her age, she turned to thievery in order to provide for her younger siblings. Her father died due to an illness, and her mother works earnestly everyday as a barmaid for one of the nearby taverns. It still wasn’t enough.

Either way, Ashe had given her a job, and it’s safe to say that she has stopped her prior ways and has earnestly been working hard at the inn. Primarily, she helps out with maintaining the dining hall. As a result, she’s grown used to Dedue’s weekly visit and while she was at first intimidated by him, she’s taken to asking him about everything-- from serving the king to about Duscur. 

“Oh, Marie! Sorry, are there more people?” Ashe finally asks, sheepish that he’d been chatting away with Dedue with little regard for the floor. “I didn’t mean to leave the work to you!”

“No worries, boss!” Marie chirps back, “you looked pretty engaged in your conversation with Sir Dedue, so I took care of everything for you. No need to thank me.”

Dedue shakes his head, “I didn’t mean to keep you. The food was excellent as always, Ashe. I should be taking my leave.” He pushes the plate toward the other side of the counter, causing Ashe to perk up and get back on his feet. Ashe is reluctant about letting Dedue leave already, but he’s already taking so much precious free time from him! He couldn’t possibly ask for more.

“Wait, Sir Dedue! You should stay. Juust a little longer.” Marie interrupts with a pleading grin, “come on, I want to hear the news you had for boss. I heard something about catering? And for a wedding? The king’s, no less?”

“Not so loud,” Dedue chides, “but you have heard correctly. Ashe will need an assistant, so I will extend an invitation to you.”

Marie’s eyes sparkle, “seriously!? I’d love to, Sir Dedue! I never would’ve dreamed of being present at the king’s wedding! Oh gosh, being so close to him might make me explode!”

“You won’t. You should get used to it, if you want to become a knight in the future.” Dedue warns.

Ashe laughs, “come on, even now I’m still not sure of how to act around His Majesty. It’s not really like before, anyway. I swear, if he asks me to call him by his name on his _ wedding _day, I’m going to freak out.”

Dedue couldn’t help but smile at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> marie is an oc LOL but she's ashe and dedue's daughter now too. thanks for coming to my ted talk.
> 
> next chapter will be the wedding... and that's that! you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/SAVlORKING) where i mostly scream about dimitri and felix. and dimifelix.


	2. the vows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you can tell, i decided i cannot write the entire wedding in one chapter, so i decided to chop up stuff so i can get another chapter out quicker! thiiis sadly doesn't have as much ashe/dedue this chapter since that comes in play more at the end of this fic, but we'll see our dimilix lads...
> 
> also, a side note! this fic is kind of a spiritual sequel to my friend bri's [dimilix fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20342083). it's not necessary to read it to understand the plot of this fic, but i HIGHLY recommend it. it's a super good fic and that will have the bulk of the dimilix development that leads to them getting married here! some details might vary a bit, but let's just think of it as taking place in the same universe.... ;) this is all with her permission ofc! so the vows will reference that fic heavily so. wink wink.

“Ashe! It’s good to see you,” Dimitri greets Ashe as he comes in with Marie trailing behind. “And who is this?”

Ashe blinks, and laughs as he scratches the back of his neck. “Oh, this is Marie. She’s one of my employees, and the only one out of them I’d actually trust in the kitchen.”

“G-G-Greetings, Your Majesty! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” She stammers back, sweating a bit as she decides to duck behind Ashe.

Ashe rolls his eyes, and nudges her out of the way, “_Marie_.”

Dimitri laughs, brushing his own hair a bit out of his eye. While his eye’s wounds have healed, he still deemed it necessary to continue wearing the eyepatch. That is what he insisted, at least. Ashe, obviously, doesn’t know what’s exactly under there, but it might not be presentable. Although, Ashe notices that the eyepatch itself has gotten a bit fancier. Maybe some higher quality (king quality, at that) fabric? 

“It’s nice to meet you, Marie. I am Dimitri--”

“Oh, I _ know_,” She interrupts rather quickly, letting her mouthy nature get the better of her. Ashe shoots her a disappointed look. Realizing her mistake, she shrinks back slightly. “M-My apologies, Your Majesty…”

“Haha, she’s quite frank,” Dimitri laughs with a grin, “please don’t worry about it. I care little about such formalities. More importantly, I’m glad you agreed to cater for the wedding.”

“No problem, but… why me, Your Majesty?” Ashe frowns, “I suppose I am a bit well-established now, but…”

“It’s _ Dimitri._” He repeats sternly.

Ashe flushes, “huh? Look, I got it when we were classmates, but now you’re the king! I can’t do that. Especially since I’m just a commoner.”

“Ashe, please.” Dimitri frowns, but the sound of footsteps and a gentle bonk on the head (courtesy of a certain prickly duke) interrupts their conversation. “Felix, what was that for?”

“What do you think, Your Beastliness?” Felix sneers, but his expression instantly softens when his eyes land on Ashe. “Oh. Ashe. It's you.”

Although still flustered, Ashe smiles back. Felix didn’t change all too much, although he’s let his hair grow out a little more-- it’s still wrapped in a tight ponytail like always, though… not much has changed from the war, or even from their school days.

Ashe has half a mind to make an innocent “joke” to Felix, “Aw, Felix. Is that a pet name now for His Majesty?” Over time, he had realized that he could push Felix’s buttons as far as he’d like since Felix thinks that he’s cute and can do _ no _ wrong, therefore will not get seriously mad at him. They have also dated back in their academy days and broke off on good terms, so Felix can’t help but still have a soft spot for him.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he faces no consequences. Felix glares at him. Growls a bit, too. Like he really means it. “Habit.”

Ashe would be intimidated if he didn’t know Felix for so long and so well-- although, Marie didn’t quite share the same sentiments. She cowered a bit slightly, but then gains the confidence to stare him directly in the eye. 

“Duke Fraldarius,” the name sounds a bit foreign on her tongue. Not a surprise to Ashe, considering he just gave her a mini crash course on everyone that will be at the wedding. “It’s um, a pleasure to meet you! Congratulations to you and the King.”

Before Felix can respond, Ashe interjects with his own questions, “that’s right, Felix! I’m so happy for you two! Dimitri proposed, didn’t he?”

“It was… a surprise,” Felix responds honestly, immediately attempting to avoid Dimitri’s fond gaze and tries to hide his blush. “He gave me a sword.”

“Ah… don’t tell him,” Dimitri protests, “it’s embarrassing, but it was supposed to be symbolic! And it’s… _ our _ sword.”

Ashe looks at Marie for a second, and notices that she is indeed suddenly captivated by how romantic this was. With the job, Ashe had also lent her some of his favorite tales of chivalry. She had taken a liking to the romances in there. She’s still young, and it’s good to see that she has dreams. Really, she reminded him of himself at times. 

“_ Shut up _,” Felix groans, a bit more frazzled and embarrassed than before. “Whatever. You all can work out the details, I’m leaving.”

“Where to?” Dimitri asks softly, “you know the others could be coming any second now.”

Felix makes a disgruntled face, “Training. When Sylvain comes here, tell him I’m not here.”

“But you’re getting married?” Ashe blinks, “it doesn’t make sense if you’re _ not _ here.”

“Y-You know what I mean. I’m not around. I’m not available.” Felix clarifies, crossing his arms, “just let me know if you need help.” He says in a lower and softer voice to Dimitri, clipping him gently on the shoulder as he takes off to do Goddess knows what.

Dimitri chuckles, shaking his head as he watches Felix leave the room. “He’s so cute.”

Dear Goddess. Dimitri is far more infatuated with Felix’s antics than Ashe ever was. Ashe, of course, holds his tongue on his thoughts and moves on.

“But,” Ashe swallows a gulp, “shouldn’t Felix be getting ready for the wedding? You too, Dimitri. Marie and I have the food in the carriage, so…”

Dimitri blinks, “right. I was just so excited to see everyone again, that I… oh Goddess, Dedue has been running around all day to make this work. I can’t believe it’s happening already.”

“W-What are you waiting for then, Your Majesty? Get ready!” Ashe exclaims, “should I go find Felix?”

“No, I’m sure he’ll run into someone reminding him sooner or later. Just focus on what you need to do, Ashe. I’m counting on you like always.” Dimitri says with a small smile.

Ashe beams brightly back, “you can count on me! And Marie as well. We’ll make sure everyone’s got something to eat.”

* * *

To Ashe’s surprise, Mercedes turned out to be the one officiating the wedding. After he finished setting up the reception room with the food, he finally spotted Annette speaking with Ingrid near the exit. Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite introduce them to Marie yet, since she excused herself to go help Dedue oversee the last-minute preparations.

“Oh, Ashe! You look good!” Annette exclaims, “it’s been a while!”

“Stop by the inn sometime, you two,” Ashe offers with a goofy grin, “you both look super pretty! Where’s Mercedes?”

“Mercie?” Annette blinks, “you know, since she’s the one officiating the wedding, she’s already at the church. It’s starting soon, anyway. Let’s get going!”

“Yes, we can’t afford to be late,” Ingrid agrees, “and thank you, Ashe. It seems like I’ve gotten used to wearing makeup more often.”

Annette hums in agreement, “yep! I taught her all she needs to know. You know, Ashe. You’d be a real stunner if you let us have a try, too. What do you think?”

Ashe scrunches his nose at the suggestion. Getting all dolled up like that? Really, if he agrees he’d just be giving them permission to use him as their toy doll. “Um, I’m not sure about that.”

“Come on, please? Just for the wedding! I promise to make you look good!” Annette exclaims, “I did bring my emergency makeup kit with me. You’re gonna look prettier than Felix!”

Ashe just shoots her a confused look at the statement. He didn’t really imagine Felix as _ pretty_, but perhaps he is to Dimitri?

“I touched him up a bit,” Ingrid says with a smirk, “he let Annette do his hair earlier.”

“He _ did? _ ” The thought of it sounded foreign in his mind, but he supposes that Felix is endeared enough to Annette to give her some special privileges. Like touching his hair and _ playing _ with it. That at least answers his questions of how they manage to get Felix ready despite him claiming to disappear to go do some training. “Wait, he like ran off to do training.”

“I knew that,” Ingrid clarifies with a smile, “I found him on the knights’ training grounds. Thankfully, he hadn’t quite started yet, so I didn’t have to make him take a bath.” 

“Uh, well, anyway,” Ashe continues to try to wiggle himself out of this situation, “aren’t we going to be late?”

“You underestimate me, Ashe!” Annette gasps as if she was personally affronted, “come on, let’s just do it now! I work fast if you sit still.”

Ingrid giggles, and urges Ashe to sit as Annette had instructed. Feeling like there’s no way to get out of it, Ashe plops on a chair by the bar. Annette grins, taking off her sachet and placing it on the bar’s counter and then taking a seat next to Ashe.

“I want to be surprised by this too,” Ingrid admits, “I’ll be going ahead to the church. You two take your time.”

“Okay! See you there!” Annette calls back, “by the time I’m done with him, Ashe is gonna look even better than our king and duke!”

“I don’t know about that,” Ashe protests, but also waves Ingrid goodbye. She nods back, and then goes ahead and takes off. She probably wouldn’t be able to sit through this, anyway. It would be nice to catch up with Annette while she was working at this.

“Um, so.. Annette, how have you been?” He swallows back a gulp, and commits himself to making this as easy for Annette as possible.

"Shh!" Annette exclaims, "don't say anything. Close your eyes!"

Ashe does as he's told, and he soon realizes that Annette has already started to work on his face, doing… something. Like gently smacking around his face for no reason.

"Your cheeks are so plump…" Annette muses, "it seems like you didn't quite grow out of your baby face!"

Ashe can’t help but pout at that. Making sure she had stopped smacking around his face, he opens his eyes. He raises a finger to poke at _ her _ cheeks. “And you think you have?”

“Hey!” She grumbles, shaking her head as she continues touching up his face. “That means it’ll just take even longer for us to get old and wrinkly. Think about it!”

“Thinking of you as an old wrinkly grandma is impossible for me,” Ashe replies by scrunching his nose, “I heard that you started working at the Officers Academy as a professor. How is it?”

Last he heard from Dedue was that she intended to get her teaching license at another school, but Byleth intervened and offered her a job as an instructor at the Officers Academy instead.

“It’s great!” Annette beams, setting down the weird creamy thing and then starting to work on his eyes. She urges him to close his eyes, and he decides to just have some faith in her and immediately does so. “You know what though, they didn’t even let me teach the Blue Lions! The Professor--”

“Hey, aren’t _ you _ the Professor now?” Ashe asks, “and the Professor is now the Archbishop.”

Annette pauses in what she’s doing to gasp. “Oh Goddess! I _ am _ the Professor now! Think about that!” 

“I’m surprised too,” Ashe hums in agreement, “but you were always super smart, so I guess it just makes sense. And you give off the teachery vibe too, so that means… when you become old and wrinkly, you’ll become everyone’s favorite professor who gives out candies that--”

“Noo,” Annette groans in response, but begins to apply something else to his eyes. It’s a bit of a cooling sensation, but he continues to trust that it will look good in the end, and lets it happen. Might as well let her have fun with it when he’s just teasing her. “You’ve become so witty, Ashe! Listen, I won’t age! I’ll be like Professor Manuela!”

“So the secret to eternal youth is a baby face and some makeup?” He jokes, slightly opening one of his eyes to look at the expression on her face. Honestly, she's the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, so it was always interesting to see how she reacts to everything. Also, it seems like she hadn't noticed him distracting her.

She simply huffs, and decides to bring up the elephant in the room as a subject change. “You know, Ashe. I’m pretty surprised… the one I expected Felix to be marrying was you.”

Ashe blinks, although he was kind of expecting this question. “Come on, Annette. We only dated during the academy days.”

“Seriously? I thought you guys were just on a break during the war!” She gasps, but sighs, “I suppose it makes sense. The last time I saw everyone besides Mercie was at His Majesty’s coronation… well, Mercie also filled me in on some things too.”

“Yet you still think that Felix was going to magically show up at the inn and demand we start dating again? Even though you heard about the two of them fixing their relationship?” Ashe asks with extreme incredulity.

“Stop blinking!” The other hisses, earning a light-hearted grumble from Ashe as she continues to touch up his make-up. “And..! I don’t know! I’m glad it turned out this way either way! I know you have eyes for someone else, anyway. Good thing Felix’s fragile heart won’t be broken this way!”

“Fragile heart,” Ashe deadpans, “Are we thinking of the same person?”

“Ashe, you didn’t know him like I did,” Annette hums, “he eventually started joining our sleepovers and he always asked me for some advice about you back during the academy days--”

“Hey, Annette?”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s stop talking about him dating me when it’s the day he’s marrying the _ king _.” Ashe wails, “we broke up on good terms. No one was hurt! We’re still friends! Anyway…”

“You’re right, let’s focus on the present,” Annette grins, finally pulling away from Ashe’s face. She nods to herself, stroking her chin thoughtfully as she examined her handiwork. “Oh yeah, you’re gonna definitely outshine Felix at the wedding.”

“That’s not good,” Ashe mutters, shaking his head. “Thank you though, Annette, but… let’s just get going. We can continue to talk on the way there.”

Annette nods, “totally! Actually… so I heard from Felix that Dedue has been visiting your inn whenever he’s had the time!” 

“Huh?” Ashe freezes, wishing that Annette didn’t have the means to continuously fluster him. She’s directly confirming what he’s been secretly hoping for, but he has to take a moment to reconcile with the fact that all his hopes and dreams are aligning. Really, maybe it’s his lucky day. “Is… that true?”

“Well, it makes sense. The two of you were always on good terms,” She explains as she starts packing up her self-proclaimed make-up kit. Ashe watches as she places them back in their painfully organized subsections, and Annette lets out a tiny gasp as she fishes out a compact mirror out of the case. She pops it open, handing it to him. “Look! You look amazing, don’t you?”

Ashe inspects his reflection in the mirror, pleasantly surprised with the results. It’s (thankfully) not overdone, and it looks… natural. He wasn’t sure about guys wearing make-up, but it seems like he’s pulling it off. It’s a mystery that she didn’t bother covering his freckles like he thought she would-- but perhaps it keeps some of his own rustic charms. Either way, he looks a lot better than he anticipated. “Thanks, Annette. You did a pretty good job… I’m surprised.”

“Don’t look down on my makeup skills,” She exclaims triumphantly, taking the mirror back from him and then stuffing it back into the bag. She then fastens it shut, and offers a hand to him. “Well, shall we? We wouldn’t want to interrupt their ceremony!”

Ashe pales at the thought. _ Oh Goddess, please not that. _ It’d be outrageous especially concerning his history with _ Duke Fraldarius the Prickly_.

* * *

The church brings a sense of tranquility as always. Really, he couldn’t help but gasp when he enters. “Wow… they really stepped up when decorating for this.”

“It’s the royal wedding, after all!” Annette whispers, “I would be shocked if it _ didn’t _ look this good.”

Ashe sighs, “I know that, but even though I’m not the one getting married, I still feel nervous…” Really, a commoner like him is way too out of place here. He couldn't even imagine being a guest at the royal wedding in his wildest dreams-- of course, it’s only natural given that he attended school with the king. 

“You’re nervous? It’s not like that spooky tower…” Annette teases, “it’s not even your wedding day! What do you have to be nervous about?”

“This is the first time I’m catering,” Ashe rationalizes, “like I know it’s only the ceremony, but… it’s really happening, huh.”

“You don’t get to say that until it’s your own wedding,” Annette smirks, turning her attention away to admire the choir’s singing and the other music. “Hm… Ashe, anyone here you’re wanting to look good for? Maybe Ded--”

“Annette!” Ashe groans, “not so loud! Come on, let’s get to our seats.”

Annette finally drops the subject at that, and the two of them weave through the rows of chairs until they reach the row reserved for them. Behind all the officials, the Blue Lions get a row especially for them. Although, Byleth, as the Archbishop, was seated in the front along with the other officials. Ashe brightens up at the presence of all the familiar faces, nonetheless. He spots Sylvain excitedly chatting away with Ingrid and Dorothea, while Linhardt was sitting plaintively next to Dorothea. Ashe and Annette make their way over to them, sitting on the other side of Linhardt.

Ashe frowns at the fact that he wasn’t seeing Dedue around. He’s probably still running around and making preparations. He is also concerned about Marie’s whereabouts, but she should be fine if she’s in Dedue’s company. Right?

Between the choir’s singing, the excited murmurs of the guests, and Sylvain’s loud voice flooding the air, Ashe doesn’t know where he should even look. He takes a deep breath, and then begins to look around some more, finally spotting Mercedes talking to a nervous Dimitri at the altar.

Dimitri looks… stunning. His hair is pulled up into an elegant half updo, and looks like he stepped out of one of Ashe’s storybooks. Really, he hasn’t looked so regal since the day of his coronation. A definite change from when he saw him this morning. It’s a shock that Dedue wasn’t by his side, so it made Ashe wonder.

“Boss!” A shrill, but familiar voice cuts through Ashe’s thoughts, alarming him that Marie has returned safely. It looks like she got a little makeover of her own, with an array of flowers adorning her hair. Ashe can’t help but crack a smile at that. “Sorry I’m late! Sir Dedue was letting me play around with some of the extra flowers… what do you think?”

“It looks beautiful!” Annette smiles reassuringly, “who’s this, Ashe?”

“That’s my assistant,” Ashe answers quickly, “her name is Marie. She’s a good kid, haha.”

Before Annette could respond, the choir ceases their singing and the musicians start the beginning of what Ashe recognizes to be a wedding march, casting the guests into silence and signaling that the ceremony is beginning.

Marie plops down in the seat next to Annette, and Ashe can’t help but have his eyes wander toward the back of the room where he’s sure Felix will enter. It seems like the rest of the guests have also taken to doing so as well.

Strangely enough, a cat comes through the walkway whilst holding a basket of rose petals in its mouth, making sure to shake as it walks to the altar to scatter some of the rose petals on the floor.

While odd and definitely deviating from the traditions, Ashe finds it charming. And judging by the starry-eyed look in Marie’s eyes, she enjoys it as well. 

As if that wasn’t already a spectacle in itself, another cat comes in, holding two ornate boxes. A majority of the spectators raise an eyebrow at the strange display, and Ashe looks back to catch a glimpse of the expression on Dimitri and Mercedes’s faces. Mercedes is simply smiling as Dimitri looks a mix of terrified and amused. 

And finally, Felix steps out in the walkway, amazing everyone with his appearance. True to what Ingrid said, Felix’s hair is also done way differently from usual. It’s down, for one, although he has a rather complicated arrangement of braids in his hair, weaving in some gold hair accessories.

Ashe didn’t have long to admire Felix’s wedding look, as Dedue walks behind him. Oh. He’s wearing a suit. _ And he looks super good in it. _

He can hear Annette and Marie alike snickering as Ashe’s face begins to turn red at the sight, although it fades as the two of them reach the altar.

It seems like Dedue took the role of walking down Felix the aisle instead of Rodrigue. 

With that, the music comes to a stop as Mercedes beams at the audience and begins to speak. “Hello, everyone. Friends, family, esteemed guests alike… ahaha, I’m happy to be here today. Today we are blessed to be here for the union of His Highness, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, and our very own Duke Felix Hugo Fraldarius.”

Too dazzled by everything about the ceremony, Ashe begins to zone out. Actually, he can’t take his eyes off of Dedue. He looks so good in that suit. It suits him very well. Too well. He can’t believe it. The audacity. 

Annette sharply nudges Ashe, causing him to snap up from his prolonged stupor and turn to his friend. She just shoots him a disdainful look, although it’s not that intimidating coming from her.

Either way, he begins to pay attention. For that Felix started to speak first.

“Dimitri. Boar… whatever. You answer to whatever I call you.” Felix begins, although Ashe already notices that his voice is raw with emotion already. It makes Ashe tear up. Just a bit. “Seems like things really don’t ever change. Do you remember when we were kids… Glenn got me this stupid candy ring from town?”

“And you proposed to me,” Dimitri returns all too quickly, his voice too timid for a king. He smiles fondly at Felix, “I wouldn’t forget it. Ever. You’ve always stuck by my side, Felix. I… I am grateful for that. And I was very happy that we were able to become the best of friends again.”

“Yeah,” Felix swallows, becoming all too aware of all the eyes on him. On the both of them. He looks over at the crowd for a split moment, and Ashe sends all the support he can from the audience. Felix understands.

“Well. I was glad you… you decided to choose to spend the rest of your life with me.” Felix finally manages out, his cheeks flushed as he admits it. “I was confused when you proposed to me with a _ weapon _ of all things, but it’s exactly the kind of sword I like.”

“The meaning behind it won’t change,” Dimitri answers, “I want us to cut out our own path in life. Together. And I would love nothing more to rule Faerghus with you by my side. Felix, like you told me… you’re helping me stand. And I, for you, hope to be someone that can also help you stand tall. No matter what life throws at us next. We suffered, we mourned, and we grieved together… and…”

“And I promise to make sure that you continue standing. Someone has to keep you in line…” Felix returns, “Even if I can’t say it. I’ll do it. You’re stuck with me forever.”

Dimitri starts tearing up at this point, and he grins as he wipes the tears out of his eye, “I really… I truly wouldn’t have it any other way, Felix.”

With a gentle nudge from Dedue, the cat holding the boxes bound up to the couple. Felix squats down, taking the boxes out of its mouth and patting the cat squarely on the head. “Whose idea was this?” he mutters, shaking his head as he opens the boxes with their respective rings. He takes the ring of Fraldarius, and grabs Dimitri’s hand. He slides the glove off of his hand, and then carefully slides his ring onto Dimitri’s finger. “WIth this, I vow to be your blade. Someone to keep you in check. To be your voice of reason… and the one helping you stand tall.”

Dimitri sniffs, but tries to shake that off as he picks up the ring of House Blaiddyd out of its box. He does the same that Felix has done for him, and then slides the ring on his finger. “And I vow to be your king and husband. I love you, Felix.”

Ashe glances to his side to see Annette gross sobbing into her handkerchief. He’s also quite teary, but that doesn’t stop him from watching the ceremony through blurred vision.

Mercedes smiles, “then, I pronounce you two husbands. The King and his Duke. Thank you, Goddess, for blessing the union of Dimitri and Felix, and may you continue to do so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bitch cried writing the vows.
> 
> follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/SAVlORKING)!
> 
> next chapter it's... reception time (: also, if u haven't noticed yeah ashe is gonna get to talk to the other blue lions one on one... hehe. this doesn't really include linhardt and dorothea (who are. here because they were in the blue lions in My run) but they will show up more in the fic... do Not worry.


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